NAME ______

40 STUDIES THAT CHANGED PSYCHOLOGY

READING ANCHOR QUESTIONS

Read “What You See Is What You’ve Learned” pages 35 – 41 based on:

Turnbull, C. M. (1961). Some observations regarding the experiences and behavior of the BaMbuti Pygmies. American Journal of Psychology, 74, 304-308.

  1. The author concludes that without a functioning sensory filtering mechanism
  2. Your survival would be in jeopardy
  3. You would quickly adapt
  4. You would develop a unique perspective on the world
  5. You would be very similar in perceptual abilities to primates.
  1. What does the author mean by the phrase “Sensations are the raw materials for perception.”?
  2. Perceptual strategies are innate
  3. Perceptual strategies are a result of experience
  4. Perceptual strategies are a product of innate tendencies and environmental factors
  5. Perceptual strategies are the result of figure-ground tendencies
  6. Perception refers to how we create meaning from data
  1. What characteristics do the perceptual strategies mentioned in the article share?
  2. They allow us to routinely create order and meaning out of chaotic sensations
  3. They enable you to perceive a familiar object as being the same size, regardless of its distance from you.
  4. They are all based on perceptual constancy principles
  5. They are all based on characteristics of the visual system
  1. What is the author’s conclusion about perceptual strategies?
  2. Perceptual strategies are innate
  3. Perceptual strategies are a result of experience
  4. Perceptual strategies are a product of innate tendencies and environmental factors
  5. Perceptual strategies are the result of figure-ground tendencies.
  1. What was the purpose of Turnbull’s naturalistic observation of the BaMbuti Pygmies?
  2. The behavior was the basis of his doctoral work in anthropology
  3. To advise government agencies about the social structure of the tribe
  4. To perform experiments that would reveal the psychological aspects of individual Pygmy behavior
  5. To study Pygmy life and culture in a natural setting
  1. Summarize the central point of the author:
  2. Our culture and environment influence our perceptions
  3. The BaMbuti Pygmy have had very limited experiences
  4. Western influences will change the lives of BaMbuti Pygmies.
  5. Culture and the environment have very little to do with perception
  1. What is the meaning of “relative” in the following context:

“Behavior scientists address the question of the relative influence of biology versus environment on our behavior.”

  1. Closely connected
  2. Necessary dependence upon another thing
  3. The ratio of the specified quantity to the total quantity involved
  4. Relevant
  1. Analyze the difference between the conclusions of the Blakemore and Cooper study and the Adams study. Which study’s conclusions are most similar to Turnbull’s conclusions?
  2. Blakemore and Cooper
  3. Adams
  4. Both
  5. Neither